Trust No One
by TeaEnthusiast
Summary: Gallagher Girls 6. After losing her memory and being hypnotized by someone she considered her friend, Cammie feels like she can trust no one. Well, almost no one. This doesn't focus so much on the events that may happen in the next book, but Cammie's feelings. (Especially for Zach) Sadly, (depending on how you look at it) this is mostly Zammie. Review if you want to! I'd want too..
1. Chapter 1

**chapter one**

I was out of breath by the time I got up to my third favorite secret passageway. (You could only access one during a leap year and I didn't feel like getting my flashlight from my dorm for the second.) I had escaped all the Seventh Graders who had bombarded me with questions like, Was it true you killed someone? And did you or did you not just get back from Bangladesh? And are you dating Zach? I took a deep breath and forced my head into my hands. How on earth was I expected to finish school when I couldn't even keep myself together? I forced myself not to cry in my room, but nothing was holding me back now. Why did everything always happen to me? Why wasn't it Bex? Or Liz? Or Macey? They could surely handle it better than I ever could. I'm the one running away and crying to herself. Throwing herself a pity party. _Come on, Cam. Pull yourself together. You could have it worse. _I tried to think of everything that could've happened and didn't. But everything I kept thinking of had already happened. _I killed a man. I ran away from school and made it worse for everyone else around me- _

"Come on Gallagher Girl. Stop beating yourself up."

I should have known Zach would be there. I was being careless again. I had gotten worse at hiding and he had gotten better at seeking.

"How do you know I'm beating myself up? How do you know I'm not just crying because I'm a teenage girl with hormones?"

Zach rolled his eyes. "Because I _know_ you Cam. You'd rather blame yourself than just accept the fact that other people besides yourself make mistakes."

I attempted to shake my head, but Zach just put his arm around me. "You know, you could give me a heads up before you go off and cry to yourself. I could spare you the tears." "What do you-" But before I could ask, he was kissing me. How many times had he done exactly this? Me running off, him following me. Reassuring me, comforting me? Why was I always the broken one? How could he see through me like glass, but he was more difficult?

I broke away.

"Zach?"

I sounded concerned enough for him to listen.

"What? What is it?"

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come on. There _has_ to be something wrong. You always know when something's wrong with me. How do I never know?"

Zach bit his lip, trying to decide whether or not to say what was on his mind. As if on impulse, he breathed in and whispered,

"I think I'm just better at hiding when I'm hurting. Your brave enough to confront your emotions. I-" He shook his head, and his voice broke. "I just- It's easier for me to just lie to myself then to tell myself the truth."

It was like he was finally falling apart. Of course it was inevitable, but it was like towers crashing down, no one would have saw it coming. Except for me. Cause I knew I knew I had to break him completely so he could be healed completely, and so I knew what I had to do.

"Tell yourself what truth?"

I knew it probably wasn't the best time to ask him this, Zachary Goode was about to cry. But he had to face it. He had to tell himself so he wouldn't lie anymore.

He gulped, and turned to face me.

"Cammie, I- I'm a terrible person."

"What?! No! No you aren't Zach."

He just shook his head, shook it like he was trying to deny something. "You don't know, Cammie. You don't know."

"Know what?"

His eyes crushed me in half. Here was my rock, the only person I could really depend on. The one I knew would be there for me, no matter what. And he was broken. I had to fix him. He had mended me together so many times, I had never guessed that he was secretly teaching me how to do the same.

He took a deep breath, as if he was swimming in his secrets, and he was about to drown in them. I had to keep him above water. Or show him how he could breathe below.

"When I was fourteen, at Blackthorne, my mom had come to visit me." He looked at me desperately, like he was about to lose me, and he added quickly, "This was before I knew, about the Circle, about who she really was." He hesitated before starting up again. "And she came to ask me a favor. There was a job, she said she needed it to be done, in Australia. She wanted me to break into this man's house, and get something. She said-" Zach voice broke, and a tear cut across his perfectly broken cheek. I was afraid of touching him, but I grabbed his hand anyway, and he gripped it like a life line. He started back shakily, "She said, that I could kill him if I had to. And so I did it. I got into his house, -she wanted his computer. I got it-, and I was about to leave, and he pulled a gun on me. But I was already there." His eyes were swimming in them. His secrets. And suddenly I knew I had to save him. I had to be there for him, no matter what he had done.

"I shot him Cammie." He looked down at me like I had been the one he had shot. "Right in the heart. Then another man came down, he was screaming at me. I think he was yelling 'What have you done?!' But I didn't hear him. I didn't hear him at all."

When he realized that he hadn't lost me, he continued. This was the weakest I had ever seen Zach. Ever. He was letting me see a side of him not many, maybe not at all, had seen.

"And you know the worst part?"

He looked at me with a disturbing smile, like it was sickeningly funny. But I still saw a secret. Hidden in his eye. This wasn't over.

"I looked on his computer."

He dropped the act, he now looked, afraid. It was hard to recognize what it was at first, I had hardly seen him look this way. It was the Caves all over again. But something in the back of my mind told me this was worse.

"He had one picture on it. Just one. And-"

He choked, the secrets were streaming out of his eyes. I knew it was easier for him to breathe, but it wasn't over yet.

"And- it was a picture of him, and my mom."

I looked confused, until he added.

"In the hospital. Holding a baby."

His eyes were like I'd never seen them before. The secrets had begun to define him, now that they left, I could almost see Zach for who he really was. But another emotion replaced the secrets he was trying to hide. Broken anger. Plain on his face. I could see it so easily because I had witnessed it first hand more than once.

"It was me, Cammie!"

The yells echoed off the passageway. I could hear every emotion stirring underneath those words, not bothering to hide them.

"I- I shot my own father. And then I left him there to die."

He squeezed my hand so tight, I heard a sickening crack, but all I could feel was the disgusting pain Zach must have felt for five years. So we just sat there, for what seemed like forever, each holding each other together, because we were both so broken. But it was like breaking an arm in some ways. Sometimes they have to break it even more so it can heal right. I had broken Zach so deeply so he could heal completely. But little did he know just how much it broke me in the process.

* * *

"Cammie?"

Hours later, still sitting there, holding each other, we were both in considerably better moods. I could already see the light enter Zach's eyes. Zach would never be the same after this. But he's still Zach. _  
_

"Hm?"

"Why don't you just leave me here?"

I thought about the question for awhile. Why _don't _I just leave? I laughed to myself. _Because I'm desperately in love with you and there's no place I'd rather be and you always fix me and here's my chance to fix you. _But don't worry, I didn't say that.

I nudged him. "You know why."

He shrugged. "You're probably right. I just want to hear you say it."

I smiled. "You first."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

We were still sitting there, hours later, each not wanting to leave. Just wanting to hold each other forever, afraid letting the other go would mean going crazy. Finally, Zach said,

"Cammie! What's wrong with your hand?!"

I looked down, seeing my swollen, purple hand no longer grasped by Zach's perfect one. I shrugged, even though I knew it was probably broken.

Zach spoke, looking slightly amused, but concerned at the same time. "I broke it. Didn't I?" When I refused to answer, he sat up, pulling me up with him. "I need to take you to the infirmary."

"But I don't wanna leave." I almost whimpered.

"You think I do?" He sighed, as if he knew what he should do, and didn't want to. Like a mom telling her son to take out the trash. Except no one was telling him anything.

He picked me up, and carried me out.

"You know its my hand that's broken, not my leg."

He shrugged. "I know, but this is way more heroic."

I just rolled my eyes.

* * *

When we finally got out of the hideout, Zach took me straight to the infirmary. I knew everyone would be staring at us. We both had red, puffy eyes, and Zach was carrying me, and I had a swollen purple hand. What's not to stare at? When we finally got there, Mrs. Salus, the nurse on call, barely gave us a glance, like she had seen crazier, which was probably true. She took one look at my hand and said,

"Its broken. You'll have to stay overnight."

I gave Zach a look that said _I do not want to do this and this is all your fault and I told you we should have just stayed where we were._

Mrs. Salus took my pulsing hand gently in her cold ones.

"What happened?"

I laughed breathlessly. "Uh... well, Zach kind of broke it. On accident."

She looked from me to Zach as if she knew exactly what had happened, and didn't bother hiding her smirk.

She felt around on my hand, and I winced.

"Well, he broke it enough. May have even fractured it since you didn't come straight to me. Did you?"

We both blushed guiltily.

"Guessed so. Well, you can set her down on that bed over there. I'll have to forge your medical history and take you to the hospital tomorrow since you'll need a cast. I'll let your teachers know, and Zach, will you go get Headmistress Morgan? We'll need to let her know as well."

* * *

**(3rd Person, Zach's POV)**

Zach took a deep breath and knocked on Mrs. Morgan's door.

"What?"

Zach cleared his throat.

"Headmistress Morgan? Its Zach."

Mrs. Morgan came out in a nightgown, with her glasses on. She looked much younger, but concerned.

"I would say its a pleasure Zach, but then I'd be lying."

She looked tired. "Yes ma'am. Isn't much of a pleasure for me either, but Nurse Salus wanted me to get you. Cammie, kind of, broke her hand." A normal mom would be very concerned, but Mrs. Morgan just raised her eyebrows.

"And how did this happen? At-" She glanced at her alarm clock, "3 o'clock in the morning?"

Zach cleared his throat. "It was my fault. We were just talking and-"

"I see-" She said, graciously cutting Zach off.

"Well, I guess I should head down there. Kids these days, no offense."

"None taken."

**Not sure where I should stop.. so i figured that would be good! hahaha review! (most, or all, of this will probably be Zammie, cause I LOVE THEM! so ya... ! )**

**DON'T forget to review! It only will help! Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just to let you know, this is going to be mostly Zammie because i love them and do nothing else with my life except for re read the gallagher girls. (i'm lying don't worry) but ya. thanks for reading! you guys rock!**

**Chapter Two**

When I got back from the hospital the next day, everyone stared. I had heard some pretty embarrassing rumors about what me and Zach were doing, (I assure you we weren't.) But when Bex, Macey, and Liz bombarded me in the dorm, I felt my face start to flush. Of course I now had to explain what exactly we were doing at 3 o'clock in the morning in my third favorite secret passage way, and why Zach had carried me out.

"No, no, no! Just listen, okay?"

After I had explained that Zach and I were _just_ talking, they all seemed to relax a bit. Of course I kept everything we said to myself. They're Zach's secrets to tell, not mine. But then I explained how Zach was holding my hand, and it broke.

"Ok, just, wait one second. Your boyfriend broke your hand."

Macey McHenry was supposed to scare me, who knows how. But I just rolled my eyes.

"First of all, he's not my _boyfriend_. Second of all, he just-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whatdoya mean, 'he's not my _boyfriend_'?!"

It was Bex's turn to evaluate.

"You kiss, you rendezvous, you _talk_ until 3 o'clock in the morning in a secret passageway, you _like_ him, but he's not your boyfriend." Bex looked taken aback. It was hard to explain it to someone who probably has never loved a guy in her entire life. Not that I'm biased or something against girls who haven't told someone that you love them. Then I'd be biased against myself until 24 hours ago. (Exactly. 24 hours. They kept me up until 3 o'clock in the morning.)

"You guys. It's seriously 3 o'clock in the morning."

I tried to use the best 'girl with a broken hand' voice I could. But they just rolled their eyes. I knew they wouldn't buy it. I had once pushed through a rather tough job in Venice with a broken collarbone, cracked rib, and a concussion.

"You didn't seem to mind it when you were with Zach. And shall I remind you of Venice?"

I sighed.

"_Zach _is a great kisser. _Zach _loves me. _I _love Zach."

The girl's jaws dropped open, and I put my hand over my mouth, just realizing what I had confessed.

I guess the happiness had just built up inside of me. I knew it was going to come out. But for it to come out like this. They probably thought I was bragging about it, but instead, Macey just looked at me with twinkling eyes. I've never seen her like this. She looked, proud..._of me._

"He said it? You said it? Who said it first?"

She looked like a little kid in a candy store. Oh no... here goes.

"Well, technically _he_ said it first."

"Ok, wait, I'm confused. What are we talking about? Said _what_ first?" Poor Liz. For being the smartest girl at The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, she wasn't very smart. Bex filled her in while Macey continued to interrogate me.

"Oh, phew. If you forget everything I teach you, remember, guys _always_ say it first. _Always_."

"Macey, I really don't think Zach would mind if-"

_*Knock, knock.*_

Macey turned to me with her eyes wide, probably thinking it was Zach. I rolled my eyes. Please, Zach wouldn't give up sleep for Beyonce.

"I'll get it." Bex finally said. She opened the door dramatically. "Well, well, well. Look who it is. The man of the hour."

Everyone turned to look at me, wriggling their eyebrows profusely.

Bex looked back, and said in her perfect accent. "I'm only joking. Its just Zach."

Sometimes I just don't know about the British.

* * *

**ahahahaha *cliffhanger***

**sorry it was so short.. i still have to figure out what zach's doing there! **

**oh ya, and sorry if i offended any British people.. ( I LOVE YOU BRITISH PEOPLE I"M JUST SECRETLY JEALOUS BECAUSE OF HOW EPICALLY COOL YOUR ACCENTS ARE AND HOW LESS OF AN OBESE COUNTRY YOU ARE COMPARED TO AMERICA !)**


	3. AN

**As some of you may know...**

**A BRITISH PERSON REVIEWED ON MY PAGE!**

**YE-EAH**

***life goal***

**ok, british person if you're reading this, i have a few questions.**

**the only country i've ever been too besides the united states was peru. random, right?**

**(ok that wasn't really a question, i just wanted everyone to know) hehehehe**

**she asked what was so great about her country, well, let me answer that to you in an abbreviated version of a really long essay i never wrote:**

**1. EDDDDDYYYYYYY (ed sheeran) ((my boyfriend)) (((that doesn't know it yet XD)))**

**wow. i'm realizing a bunch of people will probably think i'm a lunatic by now.. that's ok. it's probably true..**

**2. YOUR ACCENTS**

**3. YOU DRINK TEA ALL THE TIME**

**4. YOUR ACCENTS**

**5. ARRY POTTER**

**6. YOUR ACCENTS**

**7. biscuits ok i'm not sure if thats right it might be scones or crosonssts or something**

**8. YOU GET TO SAY BLOODY.. trust me.. people just give me strange looks.. i promise i was supposed to be born over there...!**

**9. boarding schools **

**ok this is probably not true but all the british boarding schools look really stuck up and expensive but i secretly love themmm**

**10. YOUR ACCENTS**

**(sooooo there you have it . .xo hope ya get it now!)**

**P.S. **

**I CAN"T BELIEVE I'M TALKING TO A BRITISH PERSON! i wish you could somehow write your accent :(**

**trust me. i'm not psychotic. i got tested a week ago.**

**^not really... gosh you people are soo gullible **


	4. Chapter 3

**chapter three**

Oh no. Oh no, _no_, no, _no_, **no**. Zach was here? At three o'clock in the morning? Ok, I know what most of you are thinking. _Why wouldn't you want to see an amazingly hot teenager at any time of day?_ Think of how _you _look at three o'clock in the morning. Only multiply it by about one-hundred because of a broken hand and pure exhaustion from staying up so late two nights in a row. Thankfully, I have a future CoverGirl model boarding in my room. I swear we have telepathy.

All of a sudden, Macey jumped in front of me, and said,

"Um, hold on Zach. Cammie, _really, _has to go to the bathroom, and she might need some help in there, so just wait like, five minutes."

We shuffled over to the bathroom door, all the while earning bemused expressions from every female in the room. (Zach just gave one of those blank stares he usually gets when he has no idea what's going on.)

"You better be thankful I saved your butt back there." Macey hectically grabbed a brush and started pulling my hair down from its bird's nest it had made itself.

Now, normally, I wouldn't care at all what I looked like in front of Zach. Especially since I knew now that we, well, _loved_ each other. But I almost felt like, I had to prove it to him. Like he didn't make the wrong choice in loving something so easily breakable.

"Oh no, Macey. _My clothes._"

She looked down at my despicable too long t-shirt and striped pajama pants and winced. You are probably thinking, Oh! That might sound cute. Ok, no. Words are definitely deceiving in this case. Thankfully we scavenged a presentable, ladylike tank top that Bex had left lying on the ground. Normally Liz wouldn't tolerate such behavior. (She was a clean freak.) Thankfully, she was fretting over a project and hadn't done her daily rounds yet. **(A/N: Daily rounds? Is this like 19th Century London or something?)**

"Ok. Done."

I took a step back, and Macey looked proud of her work. Was it just me, or was she in a better mood ever since she heard about Zach and I's romantic confessions? I wish Preston would come here just so I can slap him in the face and say, 'What are you doing?!'

"Wow."

If I was a guy, I would totally ask myself out. _Maybe I should just wear pajamas everywhere._

"Ok. I'm gonna go out there and say how you didn't feel good, but you feel great now and it was just a 24 hour thing or something. Got it."

I nodded my head. Macey walked out and gave the alibi.

"Cam? You alright in there?"

That's my cue. "Ya, ya. I'm fine." I tried to hide the sleepiness in my voice, but it only made it more apparent. Bex could not stop laughing into my pillow, and Liz nudged her.

"Um, Cammie? Can I-uh, talk to you outside?" I followed him through the door and across the hallway. "So, what brings you here, at this time, under these circumstances?" I wrigled my eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood, but I knew he was about to ask me something serious.

"I just wanted to make sure that, you know, what you said. Still stands."

I knotted my eyebrows together.

"What? That I love you? Why on earth would I change that?"

Zach shrugged. "Well, I don't know. I just didn't want to pressure you into saying something that you didn't want to say. I just wanted to make sure that you said it because it was true, not because you felt like you had too."

I rolled my eyes.

"Please, Zach. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you-" I placed my hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off, now angry.

"No, Cam! No, you don't. You deserve better. You deserve _more_. I'm despicable. You know that? I killed, I shot my own dad. And then I expected someone to actually love me after-"

It hurt me. It hurt me more than words can express by how much he was hurting because of me. And because of that, well, I did something I'm not very proud of.

I slapped him.

Confusion read plain on his face.

"Zachary. Goode. If you ever, _ever_, leave me, because _you_ think you're not _good enough _for me, then, then-" I struggled for words, so instead of finishing my sentence, I kissed him. Trying to say what can't possibly be said in this kind of situation.

Finally, he broke away, seeming to understand it all.

He smiled, a tiny smile, like he was afraid that if anyone saw, they would take it away, along with the rest of the joy he had left.

* * *

When I finally got back to my room and shut the door, the girls were all in the exact same spot I had left them in. When I walked in with a red face and sad eyes, they looked confused, but I assured them that everything was fine. Macey just walked over slowly and sat on my bed.

"Spill."

Surprisingly, it was Macey who coaxed it out of me. No, no. Don't worry. I didn't tell them Zach's secret. Just that he _had_ one and he didn't think he deserved me _because_ of it. So that's why he came. To try and convince me not to love him. But I convinced him, for now, that he was crazy and that I still loved him. By that time, I was practically flooding up the entire dorm with tears. And surprisingly _not _surprising, Macey was comforting me the entire time. Rubbing my back and getting me more tissues and telling me that everything would be okay. Suddenly I felt a pang of gratitude towards Macey. Bex and Liz would have no earthly idea how to comfort me after this. But somehow Macey knew exactly what to do and say to make me feel better.

* * *

Sometime later, when Bex and Liz were asleep, I asked Macey a question.

"Macey, have you ever been in love?"

The question surprised me. I didn't even know I had asked it until Macey became stiff. She recovered quickly, and somewhat diverted the question.

"I've never known why they call it 'in love.' I think that's too casual. Love isn't a casual thing. Its a deep, powerful, emotional, and moving thing that knows no boundaries. You can love, and you can be loved." She answered back quietly, then almost to herself. "I know I've been the ladder. But I don't know if I've ever loved. See, I'm not as brave as you are Cammie. You love so fearlessly. So blatantly, so outright. You seem to love without caring what the consequences are. With Josh, Zach. I've always been afraid to love. I think though, that the closest I've come to love is the friendships I've made here. The sisterships. But with boys, I guess not. Maybe Preston, if we really got to hang out more. But no. I guess that's why I care so much." She smiled. "I want to know what its like."

I feel like Macey had shared with me something that she had never told anyone else before. I smiled.

"Its like, sunshine, inside of you. You feel warm, all the time. You just want to smile. You'd love it."

"Are you seriously saying that I'd love the feeling of being in love?"

I considered it for a moment. "I guess I am."

"Hahah, well, that's that."


	5. Chapter 4

**chapter four**

Zach whispered into my ear during a monotonous lecture in CoW. He nudged me because I had fallen asleep...again. It wasn't _my_ fault that I had stayed up until 5 o'clock last night. Ok, so it kind of was. But still.

"Cameron can you tell me the answer?"

"Hussein bin Talal." I answered without skipping a beat. Sure I was tired, but that didn't mean that I wasn't a spy. I mean, they teach us these things.

_How late did you stay up last night?_ Zach had exhibited the greatest note passing techniques I had ever seen in my entire life.

_Late enough to smell breakfast cooking downstairs._

Zach just smiled and shook his head as the teacher dismissed us. _  
_

"You know we're having a CoveOps field trip today? You're not gonna be able to stay up past lunch."

I turned to Zach in the middle of my yawn.

"Thank you." I said, sarcastically. "Thank you for having _so much_ faith in me."

"You know." He said, shrugging. "That _is_ what I'm here for."

I playfully punched him in the arm.

"You know I was being sarcastic, right?"

Zach pointed to himself, like he couldn't believe he had to remind me. "_Spy_. Remember?"

"Oh, Zach. You do realize that you're surrounded by spies, right? Its not. very. impressive."

Zach tried looking hurt, but instead just wrapped his arm around me while walking down the packed hallways and sighed to himself.

"Gosh. Why can't life just always be like this?"

I smiled up at Zach as he continued.

"I mean, everything's so _easy_ now. Well, ok. Not really. But we're _so_,- protected here. Out there-" Zach struggled to find the right words. "Out there, its not gonna be that way. I mean. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we can be safe. But don't you think, that we _should_ be exposed to that stuff? I mean, I know _we_ are. We _definitely_ are. Its just, look at Tina for instance. She spends all of her time reading gossip magazines and worrying about what she looks like. When she tries to get a job as a field agent, no one's gonna want her. They want us experienced. They want us toughened up. Not- spoiled, rotten rich kids that happened to end up here because of their parent's occupation."

I raised my eyesbrows, impressed. We were standing in the hallway now, letting the flows of people scoot past us.

"Wow. Ya. I mean, I've never thought of it that way. But I can definitely see what you're saying. Its like- they don't know what exactly they're getting into. Out _there_, they won't have anyone to lean on. It'll be them all by themselves with their comms. They won't be worrying about a _grade_. They'll be worrying about their _lives_."

As serious as our conversation was, Zach smiled.

"What?"

He just continued to smile to himself.

"_What?_"

"Its just, you're the coolest person ever."

I looked behind him to make sure it was him talking.

"You _are _talking to me, right?"

That obviously didn't sound like something Zach would say, but it made me laugh anyways. Love does do crazy things, I've heard..

Zach laughed. "Ya.." We walked in silence, until he continued. "Hey, listen. So, do you wanna see a movie or something Friday? I broke into Joe's room and there was a fax from your mom saying that they were gonna let us go..."

"First off, why did you break in to Mr. Solomon's room?" As Zach struggled for words, I interupted. "Nevermind. Please don't answer that question. And are we actually gonna go see a movie this time? Because you keep on _saying_ that we'll go see a movie, and we still haven't."

"Why? So you can get your Junior Mints?" He asked, jokingly.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

"How did you know about-?"

Zach pointed to himself, and said. "Hello? _Spy_."

"Seriously Zach. I'm starting to think that your more of a secret mind reader than a spy. Like, come _on_. That happened before I knew you. How?!"

He winked at me.

"A good magician never reveals his tricks."

"Aha! So you are magical!"

He shrugged, and we both started laughing hysterically, attracting anyone else's attention that wasn't already watching us. I just looked at him, and he shrugged again.

"Yolo, right?"

I just laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Buddy." I said, dragging him across the front lawn. "We're gonna miss P&E."


	6. Chapter 5

**chapter five**

Zach and I entered the CoveOps classroom, eyes bright and hearts beating fiercely and excitedly. Finally, after sitting through four lectures, the freshman attempting to speak French during lunch, and Liz's obsessive complaints about my 91 grade point average in CoW, we would be able to get out and go on a mission. We came in to see Mr. Solomon sitting on his desk, hands folded, waiting for the students to walk through the door. When he saw us enter first, he smiled, obviously eager to start the class. As the students shuffled in quietly, he took a deep breath, and spoke, an _i-know-something-you-don't _grin lighting the dark features of his face.

"Covert Operations isn't a profession. Covert Operations isn't a skill. And Covert Operations isn't a hobby."

Solomon scanned the room, watching the students soak in every word he was uttering. He finally rested his eyes on the back of the room, where Zach and I were standing.

"Covert Operations is an art. A practice. A lifestyle. Its not about _getting dirty. _Its about blending in. _Becoming _the dirt. Going with the crowd. Believing your act so thoroughly you know every fact to perfection. This isn't a _game, _ladies and gentlemen. This isn't a grade. Not a job, or a paycheck. This is _your life. _Your _world_. _Our _world. And we're making sure nobody screws it up even more than it already is."

He looked around the room again, reading the faces, discovering the secrets everyone was trying so desperately to hide. He took a deep breath, than released it, letting the words sink in before replacing them with others.

"What we do, we do because no one else will. We are the world-changers. The life-shakers. The life-_savers, _and the life-takers. What we do is not for the faint-hearted. Not for the quitters. This stuff is only for the passionate, the brave, the stubborn. The bold and the tough."

He paused, and added,

"Michael Phelps. 22 Olympic medals, 18 of them gold. Most decorated Olympian of all time. He says that he treats every race the same. Whether it was a summer-league swim, or a 200 fly at the Games, he treated it with the same seriousness, the same thoughfulness, excitement. He trained for disaster. His coach, Bob Bowman, prepared him. He purposely broke Michael's goggles in practice so he had to race without them, which prepared him for his fly race in the 2008 Olympics when his goggles fell off, and he _still won gold. _He knew just how many strokes, how many breaths, when to turn, because he was _prepared._ If there's anything I want you to take away from this lesson, remember Michael. He took everything seriously. He was prepared. He knew _who he was _and _what he had come to do."_

Solomon smiled.

"There's bookbags in the back of the room with your name on it. Prepare yourself based on what's in the bags. I expect you downstairs in the lobby in thirty minutes, with your pack."

He nodded as a signal for dismissal, and we rushed to the back of the room to find plain, simple, black book bags with our names sewn onto them. I found mine and hurried back to my dorm, not bothering to check what was inside.

I dumped the contents of the bag out on my bed curiously, my heart beating fast inside my chest. A long, flowing light blue formal dress was the first thing that came out. Along with shoes, a purse, and some random things to stuff inside. The comms were in the front pocket. I changed quickly, and was just opening my wallet when Bex and Macey entered our room.

"Cammie whatareyoudoing?! We only have _thirty minutes _to get ready and rush downstairs, and you're playing dress up."

Bex looked flustered as I scrunched my eyebrows.

"Uh, this _was _what was in my pack."

Macey came along and inspected the dress.

"So, you get a blue Armani dress that Cameron Diaz wore on the red carpet last week and we get black sweats and a shirt to match?"

Macy sounded jealous, but I just looked confused.

"So you didn't get one of these-?"

Bex just rolled her eyes.

"Who knows what Solomon was thinking, Cammie. Just go with it."

So I shrugged and pulled out my wallet, finding some credit cards and a wad of cash. I took out my student id and read it carefully.

_Name: Ashley Smith_

_Profession: Student at UCLA_

_DOB: May 14, 1993_

The picture on the card was me during the ball, and I fumbled with it nervously.

"Macey?"

"Hm?" She replied, obviously still annoyed.

"This picture was taken when I was at the ball, when you did my makeup. And, I need to look like I do in the picture-"

Macey was torn, trying to choose between holding a grudge, or getting to do someone's makeup. She eventually gave in to her CoverGirl instincts and patted the chair in front of the vanity. She did it quickly and I rushed to finish the rest of my cover. We painfully waited before it was time to meet downstairs, and we tried to contain our excitement as we bounced down the stairs.

As I descended, I noticed that I was the only one wearing a ball gown, everyone else wearing what Bex and Macey were given. When I joined the group, I recieved jealous glares from all the girls around me. Finally, Solomon and Zach emerged out of no where, obviously in a heated conversation. Solomon was in a slick tux, but it was nothing compared to Zach. In one word, he looked hot. (Well, hotter than he normally does..!) The girl's stares ranged from jealousy, to outrage, to more jealousy, to respect. Zach looked to where everyone was staring…which was sadly me, and did not look away for quite a while. He gave me a small smile and joined me once I came down the rest of the stairs.

"Zach, Cammie, you're with me. The rest of you girls will find your instructions in the vans waiting outside."

There was an awkward silence before Solomon yelled,

"Well?! We're on a tight schedule! Move people!"

Everyone shuffled to the back of the room while Zach and I turned to Mr. Solomon, expecting an explanation.

"We'll talk on the helicopter."

And that's when it all started.


End file.
